Haitian Beans and Rice

What sets Haitian-style beans and rice apart from other beans-and-rice dishes are the spices and peppers. If you’re a lover of hot and spicy, the Scotch bonnet will certainly steam up the dish. If you like your food a little tamer, go easy on the pepper.

While beans and rice may be eaten as a main dish, traditionally it’s an accompaniment for chicken, goat, or fish. Enjoy!

God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. ~ Genesis 1:29-30

Ingredients:

3 cups rice

1 cup dry beans (Pinto, red, or black beans)

8 cups water

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

1 large onion (diced)

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 tsp ground black pepper

3 cloves (1/4 tsp ground cloves)

3 cubes chicken bouillon

1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp thyme (2 sprigs)

1 cup coconut milk

In a large pot, add the water, beans, salt, 1 tbs olive oil. Allow the beans to cook for about 1 hour on medium high heat or until beans are soft.

Once cooked, strain the water into a separate container for later use.

In another large pot, add 1 tbs of olive oil, and sauté the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk, chicken bouillon, beans and mix thoroughly.

Add cloves and 6 cups of the bean water to the pot and bring to boil.

Mix in the rice and whole scotch bonnet pepper and allow the rice to cook for about 20 min or until there is just a little amount of water left.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add thyme, butter, and cover the pot with a lid to allow the remaining water to be absorbed (about 10-15 minutes).